Shopping Taking a Trip to Japan for Dollies? Info & Advice

Actually, under those circumstances, it is quite possible that was the case (that I tried to buy the sample). I admit it was a bit of a one-off for me, since I've never had any other retailer in Japan, not just at the one Dolpa I've been to, refuse to sell anything to me in the past. I guess knowing about the trouble cel collectors go through sometimes made me wonder if it was a similar case. Good to know it was probably just a misunderstanding on my part. It certainly does happen.

As for Doll Show, it's really worth it, too. It's got not only BJDs but a lot of other kinds of dolls, too. And non-Volks dolls are more than welcome.

 

Yeah, I know about the islands. I'm not talking about Tokyo Prefecture, I believe the part of Tokyo that had ash from Mt. Asama was part of the more nebulous Tokyo Metropolitan Area which stretches much further than just the prefecture and includes parts of Chiba, Ibaraki, Saitama, and possibly a few other prefectures. It's much like NYC. Yes, there are the obvious 5 boroughs, but then there is all the built up cities, suburbia, and exurbia going out, which sometimes includes where I live over 70 miles from NYC proper.

Doll Show is probably my favorite of the doll events I've been to. I like the mix of dolls more and because it doesn't have LEs in the same way Dolpa does, it's not known for reseller issues. It seems more by fans for fans. It's also nice if like me you have an interest in non BJDs. I really like 1/6 still and there are some lovely options at the event.

I admit, having had a dealer's pass a few times now, I would be willing to pay for one just for the luxury of an actual table to sit at and not needing to go so early in the morning.

However, unless you are buying 1/6, it really doesn't have much in the way of dolls for sale. It's much more about clothes, eyes, wigs, and other accessories. I've gotten some amazing glass eyes at Doll Show.

I'm honestly not sure why Japanese don't sell their samples. Maybe they want to keep a copy of their work or were promised to a friend or I just don't know. But it seems pretty common and some dealers do put their prices on their samples and not on the individual items for sale. And again, I could be wrong, it could have been because you are a foreigner, but I personally would probably chalk it up to samples and a language barrier.

I so miss going to Doll Show! I'm going to have to see if I can time my trip so I can attend.

 

I hope it's alright to revive this thread. It's the last day of my visit to Tokyo after attending the winter Wonder Festival. There were some doll accessories for sale there such as clothes and horns made by their local artists. Some of the more interesting ones were the SD-sized samurais and Oni bats. Those were pretty cool.

There were also plenty of cosplay clothes for SD/DD sized dolls. There were eyes too, such as a whole outfit for both Kotetsu and Barnaby Brooks (Tiger & Bunny), a Saber bride outfit and an assortment of school girls, maids and lolita dresses.

Since they're made by individuals and the artists themselves are the ones selling their works, these are normally limited. So if you want to get dibs on unique horns/clothes, it's better to head to the Exhibit Hall with their stuff first before heading to the one with retail items (with companies such as Azone and the like).

Volks also has an exhibit there so you can see character dolls like Macross' Ranka Lee and Sheryl Nome up close.

The clothes and accessories are limited so the reasonably priced ones will be snapped up quite quickly. If you can, get a ticket/booklet from participating stores like Animate and be there before opening time. We've been told that some people camp as early as 7-8AM (the event starts at 10AM and ends at 5PM). We arrived around 11 and almost all the stuff were gone.

As for Mandarake, they have a nice selection of accessories and clothes there. Reasonably priced too as there are shoes at around 1500JPY. There were mostly dolls from Luts, Dolfie and a (couple? of) I.O.S. There are heads and bodies available and some come with their certificate of authenticity with the owner name cut out. I couldn't tell if they had yellowing or not as the lights were yellowish themselves. From what I could remember, the SD/DDs ranged from 60,000JPY and above.

The staff understand a bit of English. Just try to learn some basic Japanese terms if you're going to ask for specific colors (kuro, shiro) and styles (kawaii, kakkoi, etc. will do ).

The Dolk staff are a bit trickier to communicate with but they are patient and will understand if you say specific brands. I asked for clothes that fit my Ringdoll and the girl was nice enough to open the plastic and let me inspect the pants I chose. For those with Ringdolls, they'll understand if you say "03" or "01" specifically, for the bodies. Aside from the store in front, Dolk has a side entrance on its left leading to a bigger room with both clothes and featured dolls. I got my Doll Bom Byeol from them and they wrapped her quite nicely. Will try to take an unboxing video once I get back home.

Whew. There you have it. On a side note, I was disappointed with the hotel we stayed at (Toyoko Inn Kanda) we needed to leave our baggages as we check out at 10AM but have a flight at 3PM...anyway, they do allow guests to leave valuables behind the staff area but it's pretty small. I asked if they could make room for Byeol's long box but they refused to place small boxes together to make room for her. The manager was scary. She actually got mad that we were insisting on handling the box ourselves and shooed us out of the room. We wouldn't have needed to go inside actually, if they had room for the doll but once we saw them put her on the floor we were shocked. >_< They also can't promise not to step on her...I'm not sure if something was lost in translation there. Bottomline is, good hotel, bad service for fragile items like dolls.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your hotel experience, that does sound a bit scary to just place a doll on the floor and then say we may or may not step on her.
All in all it sounds like you had a wonderful time there! I'm planning on heading to Tokyo later this year so it's nice to have the dust blow off this thread.

 

Thankies I'm sure you'll have fun...it's basically like a doll treasure hunt!

 

My map sure does look like it so far, any places you recommend?
Every time I hear someone's coverage on a Dolls Party or Wonder Festival I just think to myself, there's only one of me. How am I supposed to be in all those places at once?!

 

(*pssst* don't worry about reviving this thread. It's one of my favourite threads on all of DoA...)

I adore Toyoko Inn usually, but I've never stayed in the Kanda one. I have stayed in some locations that the experience was less desirable (like the one in Seoul that threw out my clothes - long story, very boring, not doll related). As of last week, the Toyoko Inn Asakusa Kuramae Kaminarmon were their same, wonderful selves. I am sad I missed Wonder Festival, but I still had a wonderful, if not utterly exhausting time. I got back on the 30th of January.

Of the Mandarakes I visited, I think the Akihabara and Shibuya locations had the best selection of used BJD clothing this time around. The Grandchaos location in Osaka also had some decent items. For non-Mandarakes, the Closet Child/Dollyteria in Ikebukuro is a good bet to find used clothes, wigs, shoes and such. Now that it has separated from the regular Closet Child store, it's got a huge selection of dolls and used doll items. When I was there, they had an IOS Levi fullset on sale for an astronomical price, but as he's limited and had all the option parts in pristine condition, that doesn't surprise me. But he is a gorgeous doll in person.

Also, is anyone able to tell me if the Nakano Broadway location of Mandarake's doll section has moved or been eliminated? Because I looked all over for it and couldn't find it. I have never had a hard time finding it before. But some of the other things have moved around, so maybe it's just somewhere else I might have missed?

As for Dolls Party - it's not a huge, huge space. But it's spread out over five floors. I found it took a good couple hours to look around and do some shopping, and maybe an hour or so more talking to some of the other collectors and photographing their crews. Even if their English isn't great, they try and they love talking to other hobbyists about their 'kids'.

 

Thank you for the suggestion! That's surprising that you couldn't find the doll section in Mandarake, were you able to ask them about it? It's possible that it moved, one store I was really looking forward to going to was figure-r but they closed down the year before last I believe?
Good new to hear about the Dolls Party, I was aware it was spread out several floors and was afraid unless I was familiar with each seller I would miss out on things I wanted. Though it seems all it would take is a good night rest, a good pair of walking shoes, snacks and a heavy wallet.

 

From what I remember (and this is going back to 2011) Doll Show didn't seem to have any special events like Volks does? It's mostly all marketplace, which is just fine. But me not knowing Japanese that well, it's entirely possible I just missed things.

I went back a page in this thread, and rkold mentioned there was a Doll Show in January? Oh, crud...kicking myself for missing that... grrrr....

 

Well there is always next time I suppose? I guess when I come back from the trip it would be nice to really update the thread with pictures maybe and locations? Though its a ways off before I go.

 

I was thinking of updating at least some of the Volks store location maps with the new landmarks, but I found myself just too pressed for time as it was. I still missed going to Shinjuku entirely this time around. But that's because I had an extra non-BJD related location to hit in Nakano, so I didn't have the later afternoon to go.

 

Its cool, it'll happen eventually. If no one beats me to it I'd love to do it. Tons and tons of places to hit up in two weeks, I would've made it longer but for the first time I think I'll be okay. I know with Volks pictures are forbidden inside the store, which sucks because its really motivating to see people's pictures and just imagine that you're there.

 

Not sure if I understood your meaning here, as there's no Volks shop in Shinjuku now. Sorry if you just meant, you didn't get to visit Shinjuku area.

 

Nah, I meant the area in general. I usually go to Nakano, look in Mandarake and hit that Daiso just outside the Broadway, then go to Shinjuku, since it's in the same end of the city. But I wanted to hit a cafe in the area, and that took up a lot of my time.

 

Oh, maps! I remembered, hubby made this basic one for us. Sharing in case someone's visiting for the first time:


Mandarake, Radio Kaikan and DOLK


DOLK Front Entrance


DOLK Side Entrance

Also, here's a Youtube vid I found. Maybe the one who made it is also from here in DoA? Anyway, it's super useful (so if you're reading this, thank you!). DOLK's location

And here are a few of the Wonder Festival photos if anyone's curious.















@Yukari-chanXD If I remember correctly, the Volks showroom in Akihabara allows photos if you ask permission from them. And hey, two weeks is a long, long time. Doll aside, I was able to use up the rest of my dolly budget on clothes in a day. ((: Or maybe I'm just an impulsive shopper.

@Edtel I wish I found this thread sooner! I would have liked to visit Dollyteria too. At least now I know and am doubly motivated to save up again.

 

Thank you! I'll will most definitely remember that when I go this fall. And of course the pictures all the dolls look absolutely wonderful! If I was there someone else would have to take pictures because I would be drooling and shaking so much from excitement to take clear pictures. Well.. technically a bit of the trip will be spent in Osaka/Kyoto/Nara then I'll be moving into Tokyo. My original plan was to stay there for a month but of course I've pared it down for two weeks the first time around and my impatience winning. Oh, I know it's quite easy to watch your money fly away from your wallet which is why I have a very large budget and hopefully it's enough(from what I've seen it's exceeded most people's average spending budget) but I plan on shopping in Japan like never before, so I think its okay to cut a bit loose, right?

 

Definitely! Cut loose and spend on things you truly love. It's a part of the experience and surely, being able to find rare clothes/dolls and such would make for wonderful memories too.

Anyway, if you buy it directly, chances are you saved on the customs tax and shipping expenses too. For me, so long as I've got enough to live by during the trip, the rest of the budget goes to the "happy funds".

 

I didn't spoil my dolls TOO much this time, but I cleaned up on other swag. And Kit-Kats.

If you're going to Osaka, I'll be able to tell you more about that in my PM. I normally give myself two days for Osaka, but I always find it a rush, so I gave myself four days this time, deciding one would be a day trip (I went out to Himeji) and the other a rest or overflow day, in case I had missed something. That was actually a pretty good decision. Bear in mind, aside from dolls, I also collect gashapon and video game swag, so when I'm in high geekery areas, I cover them top to bottom. And still miss things. I needed two days for Akihabara. Part of that was due to issues with my bank - I probably could have done it in a day and a half, had I had money available on day one (long story short - my cards got blocked AGAIN. Good to know they're paying attention and looking for fraud, bad that they're wrong about it and decide to do it on my biggest shopping day of the trip...)

I was actually limiting myself to buying mostly clothes for my under-dressed and newer dolls who have minuscule wardrobes, like my little Peakswood girl and my Iplehouse KID. But I still found some good deals for other members in my crew. And I wasn't looking to buying any actual dolls, though I was looking for a DD head (01 normal skin, open eyes). Every Volks store I visited had it out of stock. My Peakswood got some really cute dresses and I think she now has the most underwear of everyone. There's also a current capsule toy set that is 'underwear' for your bottle drinks. I assume so they don't drip on the table? I had to see if they were doll scale, and at 200 yen a pop, I figured I had nothing to lose. I got three. They're about SD-scale, but I haven't had a chance to try them on.

My actual obsession this time was acquiring all the exotic Kit-Kat flavours I could find. I ended up with 18 flavours I haven't tried yet. Not one of them has even been remotely terrible - even the ones I was expecting might be.

 

Oh gosh, those undies are seriously cute

 

I know! I got a pair of the frilly ones, the strawberry ones and the 'secret' thong. I'm not so sure about putting the thong ones on my dolls, though - they're black and I'm not sure if the dye might rub off and stain. And they're made about as well as you'd expect for 200 yen, but my dolls only wear underwear with dresses. They're not supposed to be visible at all times.

 

I'm glad I found this thread. I'm going to Japan in July and have been trying to plan (on a deeper level) the days I'm in Tokyo. There are stores I didn't know were available to go to. My plan had mainly been Volks/Mandarake/Dolk/Azone, but I'm going to have to go to Dollyteria and Yellow Submarine. On the map front I'd been planning on having a data card and saving the locations, but I'm wondering if I shouldn't print out the pictures of the storefronts.

I hope the panties are still around. Those would be fun to get as well as easy to carry. Tokyo/Yokohama is at the start so I have to take that into account just in terms of pacing spending.

 

I'm going to be in Japan next week and I'm looking forward to hunting down some of these doll stores. Not sure how hubby feels about that one yet...

My crew needs some refreshing so I hope to find some good clothes.

 

@celticlady Happy hunting! Mandarake closes earlier than Dolk. At least, we were able to visit the latter at around 8 and they were still busy doing inventory and letting customers browse at leisure.

Maybe your hubby would find something cool displayed (miniature electric guitars, furniture and different dolls) and actually become a fan. If he's into anime, there's a Volks showroom in Radio Kaikan. Or...he could stay on a different floor while you browse some BJD goodies, hehe.

 

@Valesca I'm sure I can keep him happy with photography stuff while I'm doll-clothes hunting. I can't wait to start exploring! anticipation is the worst. Or the best, I'm not sure which at this point.

 

I know this is OT but what flavor KitKats did you find? Inquiring minds want to know. That and I still always hope for the return of my two favorite flavors.

To go back to being more on topic, so does anyone know where the Nakano Mandarake doll store now is, if it moved? I was really looking forward to going there and I *FINALLY* and I do mean finally, have tickets to go back to Japan.

I honestly don't know how much time I will have for too many dolly activities since I will have my 5 year old in tow, and I am missing a doll event because it is on Father's Day... (that and I was unsure if going with my 5 year was really a good idea...but maybe when she is older..)

Sorry you missed Doll Show Edtel I don't think there is always one in January, you have to check their website. I find Doll Show moves around a lot more than Dolpas do.

Also does anyone know if Dolk allows kids? Dollyteria? I remember someone upthread said Mandarake does allow children, which is great for me.

I'm so excited about my trip. I'm upgrading to better hotels and planning touristy things outside of dolls (like Hakone. )

 

Ohhh thanks! I was worried there, since I admit the Nakano branch of Mandarake is my favorite and I love that doll branch. They always have so many dolls.

I've actually only been to the Osaka Dolk before, but I promised a friend to look for some things in Akiba for her, so I might try their Dolk. I'm unsure how much time I will have in Osaka, I'm debating a day in Osaka of sightseeing and shopping or going to Miyajima, it depends on whether my friends in Osaka can meet me and how my daughter does with train trips. It's a little challenging since I want to balance things she might enjoy and things I will enjoy and making the trip rewarding for her.

I can't say how lovely it is to be going back though. I feel like so much has changed.

 

Yeah, it's probable I was just having one of those days when I had a hard time finding things. I was also looking at a lot of gashapon shops, and might have gotten turned-around.

Since this is during the downtime (I got in through a secret-squirrel way...sssh....) I'm not even entirely sure this will post. I will certainly be able to list the Kit-Kat flavours I got once DOA is back up.

As for the Ikebukuro Dollyteria, I thought the original Closet Child was above the Starbucks? The Dollyteria was in a building not too far away, though. In January, they had a fullset IoS Levi for sale there, and he was gorgeous in person! I don't love him to the tune of 350,000 yen, but I'm still glad I got to see him.

I had the same experience in Osaka, too. I normally cover it in 1-2 days to cover the two Mandarake locations and Den Den Town, which is always a huge rush. I gave myself four this time. I had one more day to spread out my explorations and then did a day trip to Himeji which was very worth it. I remain eternally proud of myself for climbing all the way to the very top of the castle, which has some seriously scary staircases. Coming down was a little perilous, honestly...

 

Ahhh tried to post this last night but failed!

Sadly, the Ghibli Museum is closed the entire month of June. ~.~ So no dice and I am so disappointed because we are missing the adult sized cat bus! So far our Tokyo plans are 1 day of shopping, 1 day in Kamakura, and maybe 1 day going to Nagano and Togakushi. The shrine at Togakushi is supposedly lovely and there is a kids ninja village. I figure we can still do some shopping in the evening since Akiba is more interesting at night when it lights up the sky.

I thought about trying to reserve the CardCaptor Sakura Cafe in Okayama but I'd have to register my Animate card and figure out how to pay the reserve fee.

So is the doll store just larger or are there actual separate stores for Momokos et al. now? If there are, is it still 4th floor, or elsewhere? I admit I have been missing all my 1/6 that are living in boxes in my basement. I found a few of my old Takara dolls and have given them to my daughter. I've thought about letting her have my MSD Sakura or MSD Nagisa when she gets a little older. They're both oldskin and so old...

My daughter and I are sadly both Starbucks fans, so I am thinking Dollyteria is a good option just for that. I'd heard Animate has moved from its old location. Considering how cramped that elevator use to be, maybe that is for the best. I know the Osaka Dolk had LaTis on display, I can't remember what else they had. I shall assume the 2 Osaka Mandarakes and the Shibuya Mandarakes are still where they use to be. The Ikebukuro one use to mostly be doujinshi and I've mostly broken that vice and I don't think that is something I want to do with a 5 year old in tow. I've been to the Nagoya Mandarake, but we're only planning to visit Nagoya for dinner with a Kastalia

I do like Osaka. I've spent a lot of time there. It's more figuring out what overall makes the most sense. I've thought about the Aquarium. I had a great time there with Dezarii, and it seemed very kid friendly. I also loved the Osaka History Museum. I did Osaka Castle when I was in Japan for the Kobe Cruise. On one hand Miyajima is just gorgeous and who doesn't like those momiji cakes, but I'm just not sure it is worth the trip. There is always the future for her. (I've been, the only big view I'm missing is Amanohasidate.) We are spending most of one day at Universal Osaka.

For our first night in Tokyo we're trying the Le Grand Daiba on Odaiba. I use to always want to stay there when I passed it going to Big Sight. I have stayed in the Trusty, Sunroute, and Washington. When we come back, we're trying a place in Shiodome.

Oh, and we're probably skipping Himeji, I heard from a friend who was there recently that if you're not there at opening, it gets crazy crowded. And I like Himeji, but not wait 30-45 minutes to enter like. I've been many times before (love the garden.)

 

Hi All,

I will be travelling to Tokyo next week. And will likely visit a few BJD stores. I'm definitely going Volks Dollpoint in Akihabara and Tenshi no Mado. Anyway I have a question for those who have been to DOLK Tokyo in Akihabara, is the shop tax free?

Cause I believe that the Volks stores are tax free. =)

 

Sorry, I didn't go to Dolks or Volks on my recent trip.

So, finally made it back to Japan. It was really interesting seeing all the changes since my last trip. We did make it to Dollyteria and Nakano Mandarake. Dollyteria was so easy to find, the only issue I had was it opened quite late. I was really surprised by how many dolls it had. It felt like so much more stuff! Nakano also had tons. It now has three small doll stores, one specializing in ABJDs, one in Barbie+Momoko and one that is mostly Takara. The cell shop had moved further down to make way for the Barbie+Momoko branch. The 1/6 shared a register and the ABJDs I think got their own.

I think I was most surprised that I could now pay on my credit card with US dollars and everywhere took Discover Card! Wow.

 

I'm going to Japan on Monday and would love to know of doll places in Osaka. I am also a little confused, is there a dolk in harajuku and akiba?

 

Akiba yes, Harajuku no.

 

I didn't go doll shopping in Osaka this trip, so all my info is based on 2010... things have most definitely changed but hopefully some of this is still accurate.

There is a Mandarake in Umeda which has used dolls and I want to say a second Mandarake in Namba I think (though it is possibly Shinsaibashi. I get confused because I remember there was a hidden K-Books in Shinsaibashi.) The Umeda branch is a short walk from Osaka/Umeda station. There was a Volks in DenDen town in Namba and there use to be a Dolks there as well. The Dolks and the Volks were really close together.

Good luck and have fun.

 

The info rkold gave you is still fairly accurate. The Mandarake is in Shinsaibashi, in Amerika-Mura. There are the two Mandarakes and the Volks store in Den Den Town, assuming this hasn't changed since January. There's some used doll clothes in a store called "Jungle" in Den Den Town that's not too far away from Volks. It's on a corner on the same side of the street. I don't remember if they had dolls. I know there were some other places in and around Den Den Town, too (it was probably Dolk I'm remembering).

 

I am back from my japan trip!

I went to Dollpoint in Akihabara and Tenshi no Mado in Harajuku.

I also went to the Azone store at Radio Kaikan to get props for my dolls, the shop is also not tax free.

I did visit DOLK which wasn't tax free. There were no customers in the store so I took my time to browse through all the shelves and pick what I liked. They do have a mix collection from different stores so there are a lot of things to find there. Make sure to go the second floor as well.

I also visited Dollyteria in Ikebukuro. It is a second hand shop and it was messy.
Hard to find stuff unless you have a lot of time to browse through the items.

Hope this helps for people going to Japan, Tokyo. =D

 

I have to say thank you for everyone who contributed to including or updating information on this thread. I'm off to Japan in April and this has been incredibly helpful.
So far Dollyteria and Mandrake in Akihabara are on my list, hopefully the Nakano branch too but if anyone has any fresh insight I'd be grateful!

 

I find Mandarake has been getting more expensive every year. I think they have realized that more and more foreigners are shopping both in the stores and online, so they've raised the prices. And I find Nakano is one of the highest priced locations but they have a lot of great selection! Definitely worth a visit! I've found lots of great items there (both expensive and cheap!). Dollyteria can have some real gems at very good prices (yes, lots of digging) and some stuff that is priced high but it's my favourite out of all the doll shops. You can also check out the DOLK locations in Tokyo (Akihabara), Nagoya and Osaka. They have a nice variety of new stuff (nine9style, tree design, doll heart, and variety of dolls, etc…). And Volks is also great to visit. So when you get to Akihabara you can go to a Mandarake, Volks (Azone is the next floor down) and Dolk! Don't be surprised to see doll items and Dollfie Dreams at other second hand shops. I've noticed more places selling the odd item. Have a great trip!

 

I've noticed the same thing with their pricing too, but I guess that's the way it goes :/

When you say there's a lot of digging involved at Dollyteria, what sort of time frame should I give myself?
I'm mostly looking at dolls specifically if that helps?

Do Dolk keep in stock dolls?

 

Yes, Dolk keeps some in stock. I got Faerynne (my icon) from them straight. I fell in love with her when I saw her on display.

Goodluck with the doll hunt! Hubby and I are heading back there this February too.

 

Thank you! Your girl is absolutely lovely and I can see why it was love at first sight!

I'm quite lucky that my husband is fully endorsing the doll buying. I'm trying to pretend it'll be nice IF I find something... he's all "darling, there's no 'IF'" *lol* I think because we're spending a day out at Ochanomizu looking at music gear for him, he knows we're both going to be spending some silly amount of money on that one thing

I'd love to hear how you go in February!

 

Aww thank you. It's great when the guys have hobbies themselves so they get it. It's funny, hubby and I had a similar conversation...

Me: "I'm not planning to buy anything really. Well, only if I find something I really, really like."
Hubby: "No worries, I'm gonna pack light so I can help carry a new doll. "

Hehe. Busted! Although I kinda meant it. I'm on the hunt for clothes more than a doll -unless- there's another dolly kismet.

Tell us about your trip too! I'll post about ours here so you can see what's new. We're attending some events and all goes well, I'll have some pictures to share.

 

Hmm … I guess it depends how fast or leisurely you want to look? But I would say 30-40 mins maybe an hour? It's a small shop on the 4th floor of the building but there is a lot to see. The dolls are packed in cabinets (I mean packed). Some are on display and some are in their boxes with a paper tag letting you know who's inside. Names were listed in either kanji; katakana and/or hiragana) not in english. Just ask the staff if you would like to inspect a doll. They may or may not let you handle it but you'll be able to see condition as well as what is included. All the other items like clothing, shoes, wigs, etc … are in a center rack with many bins that people can dig through. Usually things are sorted by size and by type (clothing or shoes or wigs, etc …) but sometimes things get mixed up so I'd suggest looking through every bin if you are up for it. Dollyteria also has a number of other dolls like Blythe, Pullip, Azone, Licca, etc … as well as Duffy bears. And …. if you buy something ask to start a point card. It's free and there is no sign up. It's just a paper card and you can collect points to get discounts on your next trip. I don't think they expire? But ask to start one when you go to the register and not after because if you do it after you pay, they might not let you start one (happened to a friend). And if you are with someone who is not too dolly interested, there are some eateries like Starbucks and Mister Donut nearby that they can easily wait as you shop. Good luck! I hope you find some really good deals!

 

Also Dollyteria doesn't open until noon or 12:30 which is pretty late for a store in Japan. I went there in June around 11ish and they were not yet open so we went to the Starbucks. lol I didn't think it was so bad for finding actual physical BJD, but if you want wigs or clothes there will be more searching. My daughter got bored. I am hoping she does better next trip.

 

Hi everyone, I just have a quick question about Dollyteria...^^

It says on their site that they do not provide the COA for dolls to protect the identity of the original owner...does this apply to all dolls, even the ones on sale in their showroom or just the ones being bought online?

"Please note document/certificates are not included with foreign‐made cast dolls to protect personal information of the original owner."

 

Hey everyone, just jumping on here again because I'm leaving in a couple of weeks (swinging wildly between so excited to have my first holiday in more than a decade, and terror at what I'm sure I've forgotten -_-; )

Anyway.. I've got a list going but if anyone can provide any up to date feedback on what they think of any of the stores, I'd be grateful.

Primary shopping locations will be places that we're already planning to go or are nearby:
Mandarake - Grandchaos in Shinsaibashi
Dolk - Akihabara (guessing this is actually going to be my best shot)
Mandarake - Akihabara
Mandarake - Shibuya

The following are on the secondary list of "if we happen to get time":
Dollyteria - Ikebukuro
Mandarake - Nakano
Mandarake - Umeda

Given my husband is looking to likely drown in his own drool at Ochanomizu over guitars, the aim of my doll shopping is to actually walk away with a doll. I know some stores are geared more towards clothing and accessories so if any of my choices seem misaligned to my goal or counterproductive, I'd love the feedback.

 

I can confirm that there are dolls in Dolk (new), Mandarake (some rare Volks ones, random secondhand stuff) and Dollyteria (affordable secondhand ones). If you're not necessarily after new ones, I recommend going to Dollyteria. When I was there last month, I was so surprised. I've never seen that many dolls (even an Iplehouse, a Ringdoll and a Soom). Most still have their boxes and, though I didn't really inspect them up close, they still look good -- especially considering the price.

Dolk has a few leftovers from Tokyo Dollism. They still had Granado's Samurai Uranus when I visited. Some limited ones too, like those in Peak's Woods Beauty and the Beast Valentines series. Well, at least Beauty was left. Someone bought Beast in between our visits.^^; There were a couple of RS Dolls, as well as some Crobis, etc.

Hope this helps! Enjoy your trip.

 

Thanks, that's really helpful! I'll try to get to Dollyteria but it might be something we do a couple of days out from leaving if I haven't found anything else since it's a little out of the way. I don't mind the idea of second hand at all and I don't even mind if they come with their boxes or not so it could be a good option if I exhaust all efforts elsewhere.

Are all the dolls on display at Dolk for sale? I saw some older pictures and there was a LOT - are some just for display?

Edit: has anyone been to Radio Kaikan? They seem to have a few dolls, again, judging by pictures, although a lot are Dolfie Dreams by what I can tell.

 

From what I know, everything on the second floor, aside from the attendants' personal dolls, are on sale. They're behind glass cases, all dressed up to give you and idea how to style them but usually, it's just the basic doll with face-up. Some have prices posted on the glass. Some, you'll have to ask them about.

Radio Kaikan has Dolfie Dreams and Volks. I've seen blank dolls in boxes, though I've never bought anything from there so I'm not sure about availability. I'm presuming, the dolls on sale are kept in boxes since the ones on display seem to have owners and are just exhibited.

 

I've only been to Dolk in Osaka and I've not been recently, but from what I remember yes there were some dolls that were display only and were not for sale. Maybe this policy has changed in the interim, I like seeing things in person in Dolk but I don't remember the prices being as good there as the used prices in Mandarake or Dollyteria.

 

I didn't know there was one in Osaka! I'll have to add that to the list, thank you

 

At least there use to be... in general, I thought there were more non-Japanese dolls in Osaka than in Tokyo. I went to a few iDolls in Osaka and there were a lot more Korean and Chinese dolls at the iDoll despite being a lot smaller than Tokyo Doll Show.

The Dolk was in Namba very close to the Namba Volks, but on a smaller side street on the second floor, not the main street. I admit, I tend to skip Namba and Akihabara now because I have my young daughter in tow and I've seen some things that I wish I could scrub from my brain. I want to be clear, I am not a prude, I have no issue with being naked, but some of the things on display just crossed lines I did not want to see.

 

I'm sure there have been posts on this before but I've struggled to find them. I'm going to Tokyo on the 24th (a week today ) and would love to visit any doll and bjd related shops while I'm there! So I would love some suggestions and locations of shops so I can put them in my plan! Thank-you!!

 

Mandarake and Parabox at Nakano Broadway, Dollyteria/Closet Child in Shinjuku, and the Volks doll shop in Akihabara.

I also found lots of BJD size props at the market stalls outside of Senso-ji in Asakusa.

 

Mandarake always has a variety of different brands from Angel Philia to Azone. I recommend going there!

 

Akihabara is a great place to shop. There's the Volks store, like Doll-Mage mentioned, which is three stories starting with a 2nd-hand figure shop on the 1st floor and ending with a mainly Dollfie Dream shop (small FCS/standard SD section) on the 3rd floor.
There's also Kotobukiya, which has various dolls for sale on its top floor (the model kit floor). I remember seeing Obitsus and a few resin BJDs for sale up there.

 

There two Dolk stores. One in Akihabara, Rajio Kaikan building. I bought my Akemi there when I was there in October. Watch out for custom charges when you are also planning on buying something so expensive as an as. They have a list on their website which dolls they carry and it's updated perfectly. They have another building too.
And like the others said. Volks is awesome to look at. They have beautiful displays.

http://dolk.jp/pages/dollstock/

 

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